Utility tape



L.H.COTS

UTILITY TAPE Filed July 15. 1949 ug., M351 lll Ill lil l j j MURE/VCE H. coo-rs,

ATTORNEY Patented Aug. 7, 1951 U N l TED STATES [UTILITY TAPE Laurence H. Scots', .Pine Beach, N. J. 'Applic'at'ion July 15, 1949,.Se1ial No. 104,961

Thisinvention relates -to mprovements in --'utility-tapes orthecharacter used by builders A and masons, especially for `spacing' the studs on 1 a frame building or thel laying-out-ofbuilding blocks.

It is customary inerectingf buildings,v that use l `Wooden frame construction'tosupportthestuds to a plate or sill,

The invention is shown in-Figs. l to Bias applied generally designated at'S, for the purposeof `laying out the'spacings therealong on which studs or blocks may be mountedJ-However, `it will be understood that the util-ity tape shown as an embodiment of the invention may be used i'or other'purposes and in different `loca- 'ona plate or silllalongwhich the studs are spaced ordinarily on sixteen-inch centersi It-has been customary `heretofore toma-rk thespacing of the `istudsalong tliefplatecr sill'bystarting at one fcorner-'offthe building Aand by using the usual carpenters square and a pencil toniarky each in- Vdividual unit or siXteen-inchcenter in this manner,lls`pacing these-'onevfromA-another.This is not/only time-consuming but-is -very inaccurate.

nlmostlinvariably on checkingat theend-"of the tions than that here illustrated.

lin this embodiment the utility tape-comprises abase, generally designated at l, whichV has a A 'guide 2 thereon adapted to be guided along the edge of theplate or sill S. In the'iorm illustrated, the base l is composed of aV sheet oflsuitrfplatecr sill, it will --be found that the Aspacing inayfbeffas' much one-halfinch away from accuracygl due tcvifhcl consecutiveplacing of the l square andthe-thicknessof the pencil point.

` One object of this invention is Ato, provide a f complete andaccuratedevice forflaying off buildfor this purpose.

able material, suchas'steel or plastic,"and`may transparent plastic orhaveav transparent Window therein. In this event theiedge ofthe sheet `is turned over-at right angles theretnyas shown "in Fig: '3, to form the guide 2,

`Secur'ed'upnn the base l` is a support'` 3 which may be in the form ofa Woodenblock `permanently secured to the base. A'tape reel 4 is sei ing units very quicklypand'to eliminate thecum- -bersome and inaccurate practice used heretofore lAnother-cdojec't-of the invention is to improve the constructonoi utility tapes and the mounting thereof 'to"provide for the use of such tapes in laying off building -units, s'uchfas theispacing of the studs of a building vor the spacing of buildcured rigidlyon the support 3. Thisreel 4 may be of the usual character provided for flexible tapes," andeither permanently or` detachably mounted on the support 3.

YThe `plate I and support 3 are"provided With registering slots thereingenerally designated at 5," through `which the tape' S.may.be Withdrawn from the reell, passing under the base l in the ermiedirnent illustrated,"although Ait may extend "througha slot therein, if desired.` rlihe tape is ing bloclsmuch faster and more efficient and accurate than has been possible heretofore with devices ordinarily employed. The'se 'objects may be ac complishedaccording to one embodiment of the invention by providing arbase on which the tape is mounted/which base of thelbuilding and withdrawing the tape from thereel, and Vusing the latter. to mark oft the desired spacings along the plate or sill. `The base,

preferably, has a marking edge such as `a slot has provision for guiding italong theplate or sill therein, opposite the tape, to permit the accurate placement of-tlieline for@ the edge of the stud .orblocl:, and an appropriate indication may be the line on which the stud or block is to be located.

This embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. l is a side elevation of the device shown in place on a plate or sill;

Fig. 2 .is a top plan View thereof;

Fig. 3 is an end elevation thereof; and

Fig. 4 is a plan View of a portion of the tape, 5

showing the indicia applied thereto.

marleen the piatefer S111 teammate the side of of the usual flexible metal tape customarly'provided and used by carpentersy and other artisans and Vhaving the' usual indicia 'l on the face therelofte designate inches and feet in the customary manner; At the end of the tape 6 a ring 8 is secured, having a transversecatch 9 pivotally mounted' thereon inv a Well-knownmanner-1 This catch S is adapted to hook over the end of the -plate or. still S to 'facilitate thellaying-off of the tape along the `length of the sill.

.The base I` is shown as provided with a trans- `verseslot lltherein, beneath which the tape E extends, and a cross slot Il is provided in the base AVat one side of the slot it. ,If the base tis not formed of transparent materiaL, it is preferable to use atransparent window around the slot I0 or sill until the location of the completed throughout the length thereof. T hisY plate or sill. Additional markings are shown at I2', preferably located sixteen and onequarter inches apart, t indicate the spacing of the blocks while allowing for mortar therebetween. Either or both of these or of other indicia may be used as desired, and in either event will facilitate the laying-01T of the desired measurements for the building construction.

It is the customary practice to locate studs in a building on sixteen-inch centers. It is the practice to mark the edge line for the stud and to mark on the sill by X the side of this line on which the stud is placed. Thus it is possible to start at one end of the plate or sill S andY to mark accurately along the length thereof the location of the respective studs by measuring from the end with the tape.

along the sill while the marking progress-es suceighth inches from the end of the tap to allow for the thickness of the corner post, s0 that the l consecutive spacing (of 16 inches) will be just right for the placing of sheet rock or rock lath ditions. i

When the mark I2 registers with the slot I0,

The catch 9 may be hooked over the end of the sill S, and the reel device moved without departing the amount of mortar used in the joints in order to have the number oli-blocks correspond with a uniform and desired practice.

The tape may be used in other building operations, but in any event these may be simplied and speeded up to a considerable extent as compared with the practice in use heretofore.

While the invention has been illustrated and described in one embodiment, it is recognized that variations and changes may be made therein from the invention, except as specied in the claims.

I claim:

1. A measuring device comprising an elongated base having a depending flange thereon forming a guide along one edge thereof, said base having a transverse slot therein adjacent one end to form a mark-ingedge, a support secured rigidly to the base, a reel fixed on'l'said support in rigid relation thereto, s aid'base and said support each having a Islot formed therein and communicating with each other, and a flexible metal tape having indicia thereon connected with the reel and eX- Will center on any consecutive studs as they come in 4 foot lengths, although this distance may be j varied considerably under different building con-Y the builder can mark directly on the sill along the edge of the slot I0 an elongated mark to in-j dicate the placement of the edge of the stud. At't the same time he can mark through the cross sloth II an X on the sill to indicate the location of the stud on that side of the line. tinue progressively along the length of the plate manner of designating the'location thereofsimstuds has been tending lengthwise under the base through said communicatingslots andbeneath the transverse s lot in position for registering of the indicia with vthe slot to indicate portion in -fthe slot.

the location of a marking Y 2. A measuring device comprising an elongated base having a depending flange thereon forming a guide along oneedgethereovsad base having a transverse slot formed therein adjacent one end of saidbase and forming a marking edge, a

r supportsecured rigidly to said base, a reel fixed 35. This may coni on said support in rigid -relation thereto, said base and Vsupport each having a slot formed therein andin communication with each other,

plies the process and enablesvit to .becompleted much faster and more accurately thanv has been possible heretofore with an 'ordinary' carpenters4 square.

The same principle may be used in laying out the location of buildingfblocks, whether these be of cement or cinder blocks, in rbuilding a wall.-

which isof la contrasting color as compared with the indicia I2, being respec. tively white and red, may be used for this lpurr In one example such blocks are of sixteen-` inch length and usually have one-quarter inch l The indicia I 2 pOSe.

mortar therebetween. Consequently, the spaces between the indicia I2 should be sixteen and onequarter inches. Using these white marks I 2', the builder proceeds in the manner described above to indicate the location of the blocks along the length of the sill.

When a mason lays out a block wall for a house, he has a problem of spacing the blocks so' that an even number of blocks may be used or. a halfblock at the end of the row. By measuring off with this tape the length of the wall, the indicia I2 will indicate whether or not an even number g. v

of blocks may be used,

the end, or whether he must increase or decrease or perhaps a half-block at leach of said last I the slotA to indicate portion inthe slot.

l named slots being perpendicular to said ilange, and a exible metal tape having indicia thereon connected with the reel and eX- tending llengthwise under the base through said communicating slots and beneath the transverse slot in positionvfor registering of the indicia with LAURENCE H. cooTs. RE'ERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Date Number Name 491,733 Foster Feb. 14, 1893 530,111 Krebs Dec. 4, 1894 825,217 Hull et al July 3, 1906 861,952 Clark July 30, 1907 1,145,244 Hoimann July 6, 1915 1,224,592 Begany May 1, 1917 1,246,768 Michie Nov.'13, 1917 1,690,919 Baine Nov. 6, 1928 2,204,927 Cramer June 18, 1940 FOREIGN PATENTS vNumber d Country Date 4,971v Great Britain Mar. 31, 1915 the location of a marking 

